The Sacco Vanzetti Trial: Justice Or Injustice?

The Sacco and Vanzetti trial: Justice or Injustice?

During the beginning of the twentieth century, the lives of two men waved in the balance, with the public begging for their freedom. While there were multiple suspects to the murders that were committed, the two Italian anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were left chiefly in the investigator’s sights. After the case was taken to court, the defense for the two had garnered a significant amount of public awareness, pleading their innocence in the matter. After their sentence of guilt, thousands of citizens from several countries took to the streets to riot, waving anti-American propaganda. Despite its outcome, the Sacco and Vanzetti trial was the most controversial trial internationally, involving
When Sacco was asked where he was the day of the murder, he stated that he had the day off from work (Frankfurter). Vanzetti had no means to defend his location as well (Frankfurter). Additionally, the weapons that they stored on their person gave them the means to the murders. The guns they carried were a revolver, and a semi-automatic pistol (Reed). The revolver was carried by Vanzetti, and was the same model as the one stolen from the guard killed in the crime (Reed). All of this evidence against them rose them to the primary suspects in the case. The police believed the two had little reason to explain their situation, and consequently, the two immigrants were charged with murder
Over the seven years, the defense attorney would claim evidence to be inaccurate, and appeal to the Supreme Judicial Court. During that time, Sacco and Vanzetti were housed in prisons awaiting a final sentencing. Around this time, a man named Celestino Medeiros confessed to both the robbery and the murder, saying that Sacco and Vanzetti had no part in the crime (Watson). The judge in charge of the case, Judge Thayer, denied the confession, stating that the defense committee had a “belief in the existence of something which in fact and truth has no such existence” (Watson), giving no further examination of the evidence (Watson). With the execution nearing, Sacco and Vanzetti were brought to Charlestown State Prison. In the Boston area, over twenty thousand people protested the executions (Watson). At the moment of the execution, Vanzetti asserted that “he forgave those who are doing this to him”, this including, the judge, and the prosecutors (“Sacco and Vazetti put to death”). After their deaths, the international reply had turned